Eight young people from Nuneaton and Bedworth will be honoured tomorrow after striking gold in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

They will be joined at a special presentation at Nuneaton Town Hall by 37 other local teenagers who have achieved silver or bronze awards.

Keith Asbury, the scheme's liaison officer for north Warwickshire, said it was a chance for people to "see the good" in young adults.

One of the gold award winners did community work as a nursery assistant and helped out on a ward at Nuneaton's George Eliot Hospital, while another trekked 70 kilometres through a mountainous region of Brazil.

Kara Fraser, who took her gold award at the Park House Open Award Centre in Riversley Road, spent four days trekking across a 2,890-metre peak in Brazil.

She said: "My gold expedition was one of the most challenging experiences of my life and I will never forget - particularly because it was undertaken in Brazil.

"The trek I found to be immensely difficult, but with the strength of my fellow teammates and my own determination, I managed. I will carry these skills forward with me into the future."

Another gold winner, Hannah Burton, who also took her award at Park House, spent time helping on Lydgate ward at George Eliot Hospital, while Andrew Shorter took an advanced driving course and Simon Skipp attended a Royal Marines course.

The Deputy Mayor of Nuneaton and Bedworth, Cllr Peter Bradley, will present the awards to the 45 gold, silver and bronze recipients in the borough. o Anyone wanting information about the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme in Nuneaton and Bedworth should phone 024 7638 2815.